UK retail footfall remained in decline during July as the summer heatwave continued to keep shoppers away from high streets, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium and Sensormatic Solutions.

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MONTHLY TOTAL UK RETAIL FOOTFALL (% CHANGE YOY)

Overall UK footfall fell 2.1% year on year during the four weeks to 1 August, an improvement on June’s 3.4% decline but the sixth fall recorded in the first seven months of 2026.

High streets continued to be the hardest hit, with footfall down 3.8%, although this was an improvement on the 6.2% decline seen in June. Retail parks were the strongest-performing retail destination, recording 1.2% growth, while shopping centre footfall fell 1.4%.

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UK FOOTFALL BY LOCATION (% CHANGE YOY)

Scotland and Northern Ireland both recorded increases in footfall, rising 2.7% and 2.6% respectively, while England saw a 3.0% decline. London experienced one of the weakest regional performances, with footfall down 5.3%.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said the prolonged heatwave had continued to affect shopping habits, particularly on high streets where soaring temperatures discouraged consumers from travelling.

She added that retailers were increasingly investing in measures such as air conditioning and more energy-efficient refrigeration to adapt to more frequent periods of extreme weather, while calling for reforms to the business rates system to encourage further investment.

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TOTAL FOOTFALL BY NATION AND REGION

Andy Sumpter, head of consulting and analytics – EMEA at Sensormatic Solutions, said July’s figures suggested shoppers were becoming more selective about where they visited.

While high streets remained under pressure, he said retail parks had returned to growth and shopping centres had proved more resilient, indicating consumers were still willing to visit retail destinations despite making fewer shopping trips overall.

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